Swing Into the Evening with Frim Fram 4

All too often, the term “awards banquet” triggers a primitive shudder—as if our most ancient ancestors had to sit around a cave with a dry meal and droning speeches about great mammoth hunts of the last season, somehow passing their dread on to future generations.

Perhaps that’s why the Idaho Press Club Best of 2012 Awards Banquet should lose the whole “awards banquet” part of the name and more accurately be called the Idaho Press Club Best of 2012 Concert, Dinner and Celebration.

No, we’re piling on the artistic license with that statement—the annual gathering of IPC members will be anything but boring when we come together on Saturday, May 18 to give some props to some of the best work produced in 2012.

For starters, Boise’s own Frim Fram 4 will start the evening off in its trademark white-jacketed, swinging style with a performance from 6-7 p.m. The blues/jazz/swing quartet recently released its latest album, I’m a Shy Guy, and is ready to show off its latest catalogue of songs.

The band has been a Treasure Valley staple for years and earned legions of dedicated fans with its style that is both retro and contemporary, accented by superior musicianship. If you’re one of the few who isn’t already a convert, check out the group’s website at frimfram4.com.

Show up at Boise Centre in the heart of downtown Boise at 6 p.m., grab a drink and mingle with friends and co-workers while you get a full hour of Frim Fram 4.

The dinner portion of the evening will begin at 7 p.m., and the menu is anything but dry. This year, attendees will select between slow-roasted prime rib with mushroom jus, horseradish and baked potato; cedar plank salmon with lemongrass buerre blanc and roasted rosemary potatoes; or eggplant parmesan with fresh mozzarella and house-made marinara. The meal will be completed with a selection of decadent desserts and coffee.

In addition to the two no-host bars, wine by the bottle will be available for purchase from the tables.

Once again, media organizations and businesses will be able to purchase a reserved table of 10 to ensure their guests are able to sit together. All other seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The cost for attending this year’s Concert, Dinner and Celebration is $40 for Press Club members, $45 for non-members or $375 for a reserved table seating up to 10 people.

Registration will be available online at idahopressclub.org, and those reserving a table must provide a full list of attendees and their choice of entree at the time of registration. To keep things easy, payment can be done via PayPal online as well, although there is a $2 service fee per ticket for those electing to do so.

Since all media revolves around deadlines, these are the ones you need to know: pre-registration for the event is not only required, but it must by done no later than Monday, May 13. Any cancelations after Wednesday, May 15 will be charged full price and no-shows will also be billed for the full cost of the ticket.

For more information or to register, visit the IPC website at idahopressclub.org and click on the link for the Best of 2012 Awards Banquet.

Deanna Darr is the features editor of the Boise Weekly and serves on the Idaho Press Club board; she is this year’s banquet committee chair.